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For those who play and those who watch, politics can surely be sport. And like any sport, there are the new standouts — in this case a couple of congressional freshmen who, through their ideas, personalities and diligence, stand out on Capitol Hill. So, as the 110th Congress wraps up its first session, Politico offers these rookies of the year.

It didn’t take long for Ron Klein to get noticed.

Like an underdog quarterback, the Florida Democrat pulled off a big win last year over Republican Rep. Clay Shaw, a steady, 26-year House incumbent — leaving many voters and observers drained, as if they had just left a close, gut-wrenching football game.

“The district was clearly ready for a change,” said Klein, whose constituents range from millionaires in Palm Beach and retirees in Boca Raton to factory workers in Fort Lauderdale. “They were tired of Terri Schiavo, of gay marriage. They were concerned about jobs, health care, energy, Iraq.”

Instantly, colleagues say, the 50-year-old freshman, who served 14 years in the Florida legislature, seemed out front on ideas, policy and the politics of the corridors of congressional power.

Klein was energetic and knowledgeable, and colleagues said his experience in the state capital was easily translated to Capitol Hill.

Democratic leaders also frequently turned to him because, they said, he showed early on that he could take on big tasks and get them done.

And he proved a power-house fundraiser as well, an always-welcome attribute in Washington.

At meetings of the Florida congressional delegation, while other freshmen sat quiet, wary of sounding inexperienced, Klein sounded off on a checklist of problems weighing on the state.

Within weeks of his arrival in Washington, Klein and fellow freshman Tim Mahoney (D-Fla.), both on the House Financial Services Committee, began working on ways to ease the rising cost of homeowners insurance, a problem plaguing both members’ hurricane-prone districts.

Within a few months, the two congressmen had introduced a bill aimed at stabilizing the catastrophe insurance market by expanding private industry’s capacity to cover a natural disaster and help all states manage risk.

The measure, with the strong backing of House Democratic leaders, passed last month by a 258-155 vote and quickly picked up the support of Democratic Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Bill Nelson of Florida, who introduced a companion bill in the Senate.

“There is a solution for every single problem,” Klein explained in an interview. “We sat down with various groups, talked about the insurance crisis and said, ‘We’re going to find an answer.’”

Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.) said he worked with Klein on a joint resolution condemning what they see as “the growing threat that Iran poses to Latin America” and admired Klein’s “courage to break ranks with his Democrat colleagues on this issue” and his “passion and desire to stop the threat that Hugo Chavez and other dictators pose to the region.”

Klein said he has been careful to focus on the issues most pressing in his district. “During your first year, it’s important to listen and learn and not take on too many things,” he said.

Brian Smoot, Klein’s former chief of staff who is now director of incumbent retention at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, called Klein a “congressman who gets it,” someone who “understands complex issues and can boil them down.”

But Ken Spain, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said Klein was little more than a rubber stamp for the Democratic leadership.

“Anybody who votes with the Democrat leadership nearly 100 percent of the time is clearly more interested in impressing their liberal friends inside the Beltway than their constituents back home,” Spain said.

Policy aside, Klein is also one of the most prolific congressional fundraisers.

His war chest totals more than $1.4 million, according to the latest fundraising records.

A self-described pro-business Democrat, Klein said he has made a point of reaching out to those who supported Shaw last year, making visits to the owners of local businesses and factories to learn how he can gain their support.

He also logs long hours at the DCCC headquarters in Washington every week, making fundraising calls, even though his opponent next year, retired Lt. Col. Allen West, has a mere $20,000 in the bank.

“The formula is simple,” Klein said. “The amount of time you put in equals the amount of money you get. It takes perseverance and discipline.”

He admits the first year hasn’t been easy, though, with the Democrats taking power and trying to implement reform.

“You don’t turn the ship around in one year,” he said. “But the accomplishments are there. We’ve put it on the table and the agenda is changed.”

Readers' Comments (4)

Just as in the parallel article by Daniel W. Reilly posted on Politico, it is nice to see that the blissful intoxication of the holiday season is encouraging partisan left-wing "journalists" to throw caution to the wind and blow sweet holiday season kisses to their favorite Congressional Democrats. "Journalists" usually go through highly impressive rhetorical contorsions to deny their partisanship, or at least to deny that their political affiliations affect their work. It's always nice to see tacit admissions of partisanship, perhaps inspired by this joyous and blessed Christmas season, from those who would masquerade as journalists for the credibility they believes that title gives them, but who are in fact propagandists in the finest Goebbels tradition.

Just as in the parallel article by Daniel W. Reilly posted on Politico, it is nice to see that the blissful intoxication of the holiday season is encouraging partisan left-wing "journalists" to throw caution to the wind and blow sweet holiday season kisses to their favorite Congressional Democrats. "Journalists" usually go through highly impressive rhetorical contorsions to deny their partisanship, or at least to deny that their political affiliations affect their work. It's always nice to see tacit admissions of partisanship, perhaps inspired by this joyous and blessed Christmas season, from those who would masquerade as journalists for the credibility they believes that title gives them, but who are in fact propagandists in the finest Goebbels tradition.

You're joking, right? Politico was started by Jim VandeHei and John Harris, right-wing escapees from the Washington Post. Hell, its president and CEO is chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Reagan Presidential Library! What's more, Politico has a close relationship with infamous wingnut blowhard Matt Drudge.

Before you start shopping around that tired "liberal media" garbage, you might want to check your sources. (What am I saying? You're a wingnut ... you never check sources!)

I live in Ron Klein's district, and I'm actually rather dismayed that he chooses to trumpet this award. Coming from Politico, I'd be embarrassed about it.